Some 39 Lebanon-stranded Nepalis arrive home

Thirty-nine stranded Nepali migrant workers – most of them victims of trafficking and exploitation – have been repatriated today from Beirut in Lebanon with the support from International Organisation of Migrants (IOM) and Nepali embassy in Cairo, Egypt. Upon a request for assistance, IOM had made available resources from its Humanitarian Assistance to stranded migrants fund and took care of all travel arrangements for 31 migrants, who were identified as vulnerable and exploited and subsequently screened as victims of trafficking, according to a press statement issued by IOM-Nepal Office today. The remaining eight migrants – who did not fall within the category – were assisted directly by the government. They will now be sheltered in safe houses managed by Pourakhi and Prabasi Nepali Coordination Committee, the local civil society organisation working for victims of trafficking and migrants. The migrants will be provided some basic assistance in their long path to reintegration, the IOM added. Earlier in the week, IOM was approached by the Nepali Embassy in Cairo, which also covers Lebanon, with a request for rescue and repatriation assistance for Nepali migrants stranded in Lebanon. Charge d´ affaires Kaushal Kishor Ray recently visited Lebanon to monitor the working condition of nearly 7,000 Nepali workers currently living in Lebanon. During his visit, Ray found that many Nepali women migrants were working there as domestics. Ray, with assistance from the Non-Resident Nepalese (NRN) committee, identified a significant number of Nepali migrants living in dire conditions, overstaying their visas or as having been trafficked into Lebanon. "The Nepali migrants had fled from their employers' residences and were in hiding after having been mistreated, harassed and subjected to multiple forms of exploitation by their employers," said the statement. Ray was able to collect data and documents concerning many of the migrants. Upon receiving the data and papers the Nepali embassy was able to issue travel documents for 45 migrants, including 42 females. They were immediately moved to a safe house operated by Caritas Lebanon before finally being flown to Kathmandu today. Thirty-nine stranded Nepali migrant workers – most of them victims of trafficking and exploitation – have been repatriated today from Beirut in Lebanon with the support from International Organisation of Migrants (IOM) and Nepali embassy in Cairo, Egypt. Upon a request for assistance, IOM had made available resources from its Humanitarian Assistance to stranded migrants fund and took care of all travel arrangements for 31 migrants, who were identified as vulnerable and exploited and subsequently screened as victims of trafficking, according to a press statement issued by IOM-Nepal Office today. The remaining eight migrants – who did not fall within the category – were assisted directly by the government. They will now be sheltered in safe houses managed by Pourakhi and Prabasi Nepali Coordination Committee, the local civil society organisation working for victims of trafficking and migrants. The migrants will be provided some basic assistance in their long path to reintegration, the IOM added.

Earlier in the week, IOM was approached by the Nepali Embassy in Cairo, which also covers Lebanon, with a request for rescue and repatriation assistance for Nepali migrants stranded in Lebanon. Charge d´ affaires Kaushal Kishor Ray recently visited Lebanon to monitor the working condition of nearly 7,000 Nepali workers currently living in Lebanon. During his visit, Ray found that many Nepali women migrants were working there as domestics. Ray, with assistance from the Non-Resident Nepalese (NRN) committee, identified a significant number of Nepali migrants living in dire conditions, overstaying their visas or as having been trafficked into Lebanon. "The Nepali migrants had fled from their employers' residences and were in hiding after having been mistreated, harassed and subjected to multiple forms of exploitation by their employers," said the statement. Ray was able to collect data and documents concerning many of the migrants. Upon receiving the data and papers the Nepali embassy was able to issue travel documents for 45 migrants, including 42 females. They were immediately moved to a safe house operated by Caritas Lebanon before finally being flown to Kathmandu today.